Cost of Living Comparison Between Wattala and Chiang Mai Cost of Living Comparison Between Wattala and Chiang Mai

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $535 per month in Wattala vs $852 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $884 per month in Wattala vs $1,360 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,234 per month in Wattala vs $1,867 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Wattala is about 37% cheaper than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Wattala and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Wattala 60% lower, Chiang Mai 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.07 LKR 1,366

$2.04 ฿68.2

99.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.66 LKR 8,273

$18.71 ฿624

31.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.49 LKR 2,847

$7.86 ฿262

8.02%

Cappuccino

$2.61 LKR 877

$2.03 ฿67.7

28.57%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.69 LKR 232

$0.80 ฿26.64

-13.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 LKR 124

$0.35 ฿11.68

5.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.29 LKR 769

$2.14 ฿71.5

7.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.43 LKR 1,152

$3.67 ฿122

-6.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 LKR 573

$1.73 ฿57.6

-1.16%

White Bread (500g)

$0.52 LKR 174

$1.57 ฿52.4

-66.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.83 LKR 278

$1.20 ฿39.99

-30.83%

Eggs

$2.13 LKR 714

$1.97 ฿65.8

8.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.34 LKR 4,811

$16.23 ฿541

-11.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.69 LKR 1,575

$3.06 ฿102

53.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.02 LKR 2,691

$10.80 ฿360

-25.74%

Apples (1kg)

$7.29 LKR 2,446

$2.77 ฿92.3

163.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 LKR 359

$1.17 ฿38.94

-8.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.67 LKR 1,902

$1.71 ฿57.0

231.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.26 LKR 423

$1.59 ฿53.2

-20.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.11 LKR 372

$1.39 ฿46.51

-20.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 LKR 459

$1.16 ฿38.56

18.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 LKR 398

$0.66 ฿22.05

80.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 LKR 203

$0.52 ฿17.31

17.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.99 LKR 3,353

$4.65 ฿155

114.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.47 LKR 4,184

$17.78 ฿593

-29.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.00 LKR 670

$1.79 ฿59.6

11.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 LKR 964

$3.34 ฿111

-14.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.91 ฿30.27

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.64 ฿622

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.38 LKR 128

$1.41 ฿47.04

-73.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.36 LKR 120

$1.34 ฿44.70

-73.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.58 LKR 194

$8.11 ฿270

-92.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 LKR 424

$1.23 ฿41.16

2.44%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$26.5K LKR 8.9M

$21.4K ฿715.1K

23.67%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$35.3K LKR 11.8M

$21.8K ฿728.0K

61.77%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$59.7 LKR 20.0K

$71.3 ฿2,379

-16.32%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$4.27 LKR 1,434

$14.01 ฿467

-69.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.04 LKR 5,046

$17.93 ฿598

-16.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$13.54 LKR 4,543

$40.82 ฿1,362

-66.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.88 ฿230

Cinema Ticket

$3.41 LKR 1,146

$5.72 ฿191

-40.38%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$36.65 LKR 12.3K

$308 ฿10.3K

-88.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$446 LKR 149.5K

$14.7K ฿489.7K

-96.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$27.18 LKR 9,122

$55.8 ฿1,860

-51.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.38 LKR 6,502

$26.04 ฿869

-25.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.7 LKR 23.4K

$84.8 ฿2,829

-17.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$39.12 LKR 13.1K

$71.0 ฿2,368

-44.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$423 ฿14.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$242 ฿8,088

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$797 ฿26.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$507 ฿16.9K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,918 ฿64.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,464 ฿48.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

16.45

229.00%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Wattala: July 27, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $25.00 in Wattala versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $255 vs $244 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Wattala vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 59% more than Wattala, with the gap driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $802 per month in Wattala and $1,279 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $25.00 in Wattala and $19.00 in Chiang Mai. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 5% cheaper in Chiang Mai – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $535 in Wattala and $852 in Chiang Mai, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Wattala costs $535 versus $852 in Chiang Mai. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Wattala. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chiang Mai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.